What was better, Hot Wheels or MatchBox?
Do they still do Matchbox?

I recall Matchbox had more "real world" vehicles.
I liked the Hot Wheels when the track sets came out.

First grandson so I'm getting back into toys!

Don't worry, I just sent a ruger bearcat shopkeeper off to Tyler for a tune up and a Randall 26 set aside.

But for now Toys!

My favorites were matchbox. As a kid, I lost track of how many hours I had playing with them.

Hot wheels, because of the track, accessories and cool concept cars.

Matchbox were more realistic.

Hot Wheels

I think Matchbox. Had more real cars and trucks.
I have shoeboxes full of both. My grandsons will get
them soon, like they don't have enough toys already!

Man - I was a fan of both. And, not to add yet another angle, but Corgi Toys’ cars were cool, too!

I’d have to give Matchbox the edge from my own childhood. I recall my favorite toy store selling Matchbox cars in the trademark numbered box. They had a Lazy Susan-style display case and you made your pick by the number. The sales associate pulled your selection from a drawer. Smiles all-around.

Perhaps my all-time favorite:

Hot Wheels

The HotWheels tires came off too easy. The Matchbox were more sturdy,
until I put a firecracker in them!

Hot wheels!

Matchbox

Hot Wheels and the track sections.

Always liked this Stutz Blackhawk for some reason:

Hot Wheels, because my brother and I used to get into great fights with the track sections.

Match Box

Matchbox if you're doing anything other than running them on the orange plastic track.

I always liked Matchbox better. I loved the little carousel at the local drug store where I could pick my car. When my sister got big enough, she picked, too, and got the green station wagon with the dogs (that TheFrontRange shows above), a big dump truck, and the Esso Ford wrecker that's shown on the Wikipedia page, copying the wrecker I already had. Superfasts came out when I was 7 or so and the Superfast Police Car quickly became one of my favorites, often "pulling over" the few speeding Hot Wheels cars I'd collected or been given.

It was one of the old, slow Matchbox cars but my other favorite was the Weasel and Scammel Snow Plow, also shown on the Wikipedia page. The snow plow broke off of the front, so my cousin didn't want it any more and he gave it to me.

I love them both. Are not they owned and made by the same company ??? God Bless !!

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
Are not they owned and made by the same company ???

Now, yes, but formerly, no.

Lesney, from the UK, originally developed Matchbox and was a fierce competitor with Mattel and Hot Wheels until it was sold in the early 80s. The Matchbox line continued, but the Lesney name was dropped. Mattel, the maker of Hot Wheels, purchased another toymaker that had gained control of the Matchbox line in the late 90s, so both are now produced by the same firm.

I had Hot Wheels and loved the track.

My grandson loves Hot Wheels, too. At least in part because I give him a dollar, and he can buy a car for himself.

He also likes to make track and especially a track with jumps.

Matchbox and Hot Wheels are both great in their own way and my son loves both but I lean towards buying him Matchbox because they are (usually) designed to be realistic looking.

Of course, I am also buying a bunch of Greenlight, Auto World, and Johnny Lightning cars which are going into a box for when he is older.

My favorite is a 1969 Ford Torino Talladega from Johnny Lightning.

Matchbox by far. When I was a kid, Hot Wheels wasn't around yet. My favorite ones were Corgi Toys but they were more expensive and we couldn't afford them with six kids in the family. Matchbox was affordable for me so that's what I got. I always like the realism of both Matchbox and Corgi back then. I never likes the wheels on Hot Wheels, they were too big.